ISLAMABAD (September 02, 2010): Pakistan has suffered damages worth Rs 350 to Rs 500 billion to infrastructure, livestock and standing crops by the devastating floods. Addressing a press conference, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Qamar Zaman Kaira on Wednesday said about 20 percent of Pakistan's irrigation infrastructure, livestock and crops have been destroyed and perished by the recent floods.

LAHORE (September 02, 2010): Growers' organisations strongly reacting to the increase in diesel prices have said it will bring already hard hit farmers under further financial burden making it impossible to utilise machinery in agriculture. Agri-Forum Pakistan Chief, Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal while talking to Business Recorder said that around 3.5 billion liters of diesel was used by the growers and farmers in the agriculture sector.

LAHORE (September 02, 2010): Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB) has approved a high priority research project 'improvement of value chains and tradability of farmer's produce' worth Rs 18.98 million. Approval of this project was given in 23rd meting of Board of Directors of the Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB) held here on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD (September 02, 2010): Ministry of Industries and Production (MoI&P) and Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) are presenting contradictory figures with respect to sugar stocks held by mills, informed sources revealed to Business Recorder. According to the MoI&P, stocks with the mills were 536,326 tons as of August 31, 2010 whereas PSMA claims the stocks with its members mills were less than 0.4 million tons.

ISLAMABAD (September 02, 2010): The government has supplied 3,500 tons of wheat by air to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) on the Prime Minister' special instructions to avert any possibility of food shortage in the area. Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Nazar Muhammad Gondal said this while chairing a meeting to review the food items supply and availability in the northern parts of the country, here on Wednesday.

ISLAMABAD (September 02, 2010): United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has asked international community to give more funds as wheat planting season is fast approaching in Pakistan where floods have destroyed country's most of the wheat seed stocks. Wheat, is staple food of the country, which is planted from September to November and more than half a million tonnes of wheat seed stocks have been destroyed by the floods, said a FAO report released here on Wednesday.

FAISALABAD (September 02, 2010): Speakers in a workshop on " Sustainable Management of Insect pests of fruits with special reference to citrus through modern protection and post harvest losses reduction techniques" said that Pakistan is producing more than 40 types of fruits and vegetables which have none to compare in the world with respect to taste and quality. But unfortunately we have also credit of using pesticides non-judicious.

LAHORE (September 02, 2010): UVAS Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Nawaz has performed the ground breaking ceremony of training and research centre for livestock marketing at Ravi Campus Pattoki which spreads over the area of 56 acres of land and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 52 million.

PESHAWAR (September 01, 2010): Heavy torrential rains and devastating floods caused a loss of Rs 5.344 billion to livestock and Rs 12.139 billion to agricultural sectors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, respectively. Briefing media here at Chief Minister's House on Tuesday, provincial minister for Information, Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that statistics gathered from various districts showed a total of 94,924 cows and bulls were affected and 29,081 died in the floods which worth Rs 1.769.billion.

LAHORE (September 01, 2010): Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) has urged the government to immediately start construction of Kalabagh Dam to control floods and its havocs in future. KBP President Sardar Zafar Hussein while talking to flood affected growers and KBP office-bearers of district Mianwali, also alleged that only some non-governmental organisations, Alkhidmat Foundation and Jamaat-e-Islami were extending relief to the growers.